Bonus Round
Originally this round was intended as a back-door entrance for “It's Alright Ma” but since a staggering 28 out of 72 songs have managed to get through without any weak lines at all it is going to have to be used to further whittle these songs down to 20.
Here are those 28 songs in full:
The Ballad of Hollis Brown
It Ain't Me Babe
Love Minus Zero
Gates of Eden
Baby Blue
Mama You Been On My Mind
Like a Rolling Stone
Visions of Johanna
All Along the Watchtower
Sign on the Window
I Shall Be Released
Idiot Wind
Shelter from the Storm
Isis
Changing of the Guards
Where Are You Tonight?
I Believe in You
Blind Willie McTell
Jokerman
Most of the Time
Shooting Star
Tryin' to Get to Heaven
Not Dark Yet
Cold Irons Bound
Things Have Changed
Mississippi
High Water
Sugar Baby
Just by looking at this list a few things become apparent, first is the low number of early folk material present; second is the relatively low number of 'big hitters' present (e.g. “Knockin' On Heaven's Door”, “Forever Young”, “Tangled Up in Blue” etc.); third, is the relatively high proliferation of late material (7 from his last two albums inc. “Things Have Changed”) when compared to albums taken from either of the 'golden' periods (65-6 and 75-6).
As this is a bonus round I shall not indulge in further close scrutiny at this time – I shall merely list the songs that are to be omitted and give my reasons why, whilst this might seem a tad unscientific after the anal nature of the previous round I can see no other method to adequately sieve this collection of gems and weed out the smallest ones.
Here goes:
It Ain't Me Babe – perfect though it is, and undoubtedly significant and powerful as it is (being simultaneously a goodbye to both a lover and his protest days) one must consider that the refrain “It ain't me babe/ No, no, no, it ain't me babe/ It ain't me your lookin' for, babe” could just as easily have been written by a Paul McCartney or even someone like Prince. The things that make this a good pop single actually detract from its overall value; then again it is great isn't it.
Mama, You Been On My Mind – this was very difficult for me to call but it is kind of slight and possibly lacks gravitas, not that that detracts from it in any way, it's just that its whimsicality makes it vulnerable to being dropped.
Sign on the Window – I tried to keep it on for James but it just had to go, I was left with few options and when it comes up against the leviathans of the Dylan cannon – the likes of Rolling Stone or Watchtower – what can you do?
I Believe in You – seems like a weak link and therefore should do the honourable thing and leave.
Shooting Star – it is a slight song and whilst it contains no flaws inherently one must concede that it pales into insignificance when held up to the rest of the list.
Tryin' to Get to Heaven – Not as good as Not Dark Yet or Things Have Changed and given the wealth of stuff we have from this period, it can go.
High Water – Brilliant though it is we must consider that the likes of Tangled Up in Blue and It's Alright Ma didn't even make the final 28, High Water's position here is difficult to justify.
Sugar Baby – ditto, plus of all these songs it is the most uninspired in terms of actual lyrical flair.
So we have shaved 8 songs and have just 20 songs left, in the next round this figure will be halved, in the final round the top ten shall be put into an order.
Forward to Round 3
Originally this round was intended as a back-door entrance for “It's Alright Ma” but since a staggering 28 out of 72 songs have managed to get through without any weak lines at all it is going to have to be used to further whittle these songs down to 20.
Here are those 28 songs in full:
The Ballad of Hollis Brown
It Ain't Me Babe
Love Minus Zero
Gates of Eden
Baby Blue
Mama You Been On My Mind
Like a Rolling Stone
Visions of Johanna
All Along the Watchtower
Sign on the Window
I Shall Be Released
Idiot Wind
Shelter from the Storm
Isis
Changing of the Guards
Where Are You Tonight?
I Believe in You
Blind Willie McTell
Jokerman
Most of the Time
Shooting Star
Tryin' to Get to Heaven
Not Dark Yet
Cold Irons Bound
Things Have Changed
Mississippi
High Water
Sugar Baby
Just by looking at this list a few things become apparent, first is the low number of early folk material present; second is the relatively low number of 'big hitters' present (e.g. “Knockin' On Heaven's Door”, “Forever Young”, “Tangled Up in Blue” etc.); third, is the relatively high proliferation of late material (7 from his last two albums inc. “Things Have Changed”) when compared to albums taken from either of the 'golden' periods (65-6 and 75-6).
As this is a bonus round I shall not indulge in further close scrutiny at this time – I shall merely list the songs that are to be omitted and give my reasons why, whilst this might seem a tad unscientific after the anal nature of the previous round I can see no other method to adequately sieve this collection of gems and weed out the smallest ones.
Here goes:
It Ain't Me Babe – perfect though it is, and undoubtedly significant and powerful as it is (being simultaneously a goodbye to both a lover and his protest days) one must consider that the refrain “It ain't me babe/ No, no, no, it ain't me babe/ It ain't me your lookin' for, babe” could just as easily have been written by a Paul McCartney or even someone like Prince. The things that make this a good pop single actually detract from its overall value; then again it is great isn't it.
Mama, You Been On My Mind – this was very difficult for me to call but it is kind of slight and possibly lacks gravitas, not that that detracts from it in any way, it's just that its whimsicality makes it vulnerable to being dropped.
Sign on the Window – I tried to keep it on for James but it just had to go, I was left with few options and when it comes up against the leviathans of the Dylan cannon – the likes of Rolling Stone or Watchtower – what can you do?
I Believe in You – seems like a weak link and therefore should do the honourable thing and leave.
Shooting Star – it is a slight song and whilst it contains no flaws inherently one must concede that it pales into insignificance when held up to the rest of the list.
Tryin' to Get to Heaven – Not as good as Not Dark Yet or Things Have Changed and given the wealth of stuff we have from this period, it can go.
High Water – Brilliant though it is we must consider that the likes of Tangled Up in Blue and It's Alright Ma didn't even make the final 28, High Water's position here is difficult to justify.
Sugar Baby – ditto, plus of all these songs it is the most uninspired in terms of actual lyrical flair.
So we have shaved 8 songs and have just 20 songs left, in the next round this figure will be halved, in the final round the top ten shall be put into an order.
Forward to Round 3